Le Parlement durcit les règles européennes en matière de pollution des eaux souterraines[en] 

The European Parliament on 13 June backed proposals to tighten a 1980's directive that seeks to prevent groundwater from pollution by agricultural residues such as pesticides and other harmful chemicals. The text will now return to the EU Council of Ministers for approval in second reading.

The text voted on by Parliament leaves EU countries free to define threshold values for pollutants in groundwater except for pesticides and nitrates used in agriculture. However, it does seek to harmonise the methods used to measure the pollutants.

For nitrates, residue levels are limited at 50mg per litre, according to the new wording. "The protection of groundwater may in some areas require a change in farming or forestry practices, which could entail a loss of income," for farmers the text reads. To make up for potential losses, MEPs suggested providing farmers with aid under the reformed common agricultural policy (CAP).

Member states are also free to grant exemptions from measures to limit pollution if they can justify these "on the basis of appropriate, evident and transparent criteria".

"This means that pesticides leached from dumps or the incorrect use of carcinogens leaching into groundwater would in future be allowed," says the EEB, a federation of European environmental NGOs. 

According to the new text, leaching has to be tackled "whenever technical possible," the EEB points out. "This undefined term does not provide a clear incentive to change most polluting agricultural practices, depending on who interprets what is technically possible and what is not," the EEB said.

The European Crop Protection Association (ECPA), an industry federation representing pesticide manufacturers, did not immediately react to the Parliament's vote.